The rule that a woman should put a scarf on her head in the church has been around for centuries. In the modern world, the presence of a skirt is not so mandatory, it can be replaced with trousers. But regarding the fact that women's hair should be hidden from prying eyes, traditions do not change and are a mandatory requirement.
Legend
There are several versions why a woman should wear a scarf. One of them says that long ago people could come to the temple in any clothes. Which did not always bring joy to God. Therefore, he decided to send a message motivating him to enter a specific dress code. One night, the girl had a dream, which said that if she would attend the temple in a scarf and skirt, then all her prayers would be answered. In addition, she will have a patron angel who will help in every way in life. And these items of clothing will help to recognize her among the other girls. It is easy to guess that for the next visit to the church, the girl chose a long skirt and a scarf for the temple. To the surprised questions of others about her appearance, the girl talked about her vision.
Since everyone wanted to get what they asked for, the tradition of putting on a scarf and a skirt spread very quickly and became the norm for everyone.
Apostle Paul
It was with his words that the tradition went to a woman to enter a church with her head covered. The scarf symbolizes her humility to her husband. He is a sign of power. By entering into marriage, a woman assumes new responsibilities. Now she is responsible for the house, keeps calm and peace in it. She is responsible for children and her husband before God. During the wedding in the church, a headscarf is sure to completely cover the bride's head. It is a symbol of humility and agreement to accept new responsibilities. And also a scarf on a woman’s head indicates her consent to be a faithful spouse.
And it was believed that without him, a woman would be ashamed to be in God's house, pray for something, and be attached to the icon and the cross.
The apostle said that a woman should either shave her head or cover her hair with a scarf. Paul’s recommendation quickly became a tradition that has survived to this day.
Other versions
People come to the temple in search of tranquility, for joint prayers and conversations with God. To not distract anything from this, it is required that the clothes be as strict as possible. A woman has attractive body parts that can distract the views and thoughts. Therefore, they should wear long skirts and closed blouses. Hair was one of those intimate features that only her husband could see. That's why the shawl in the temple - to cover your hair. And in worldly life a woman was supposed to cover her head. It was also believed that it receives energy from the earth, and so that it is stored in the body and does not disappear through the crown, it is necessary to create a barrier.
For men, the opposite rule applies. Before entering the temple, they must remove their headgear. By doing so they demonstrate their respect and full trust in God. Since stripping the head, they remove themselves from full protection.
Previously, when wearing various hats was extremely popular, it was possible to understand from them the status in society of their owner. Since the house of God did not recognize the social and social hierarchy, entering into it, it was necessary to forget about its significance in worldly life. The headdress was removed, as in the church everyone is equal. This rule was important during wars, since the enemies on the field should not have been enemies in the temple, since this place is free from them.
The opposite approach
It is interesting that not all Orthodox churches support the obligation to put on a woman a scarf for the church. For example, women are required to enter Greek temples only with their heads uncovered.
In the Ukrainian city of Akhtyrka, there is a temple in which there is an image of the Mother of God with a head uncovered with a scarf. Women also enter it without hats.
Since the obligation to cover a woman’s head is quite controversial, there are opinions that this is the norm of society, which can be changed. Therefore, in some churches, girls don’t wear headscarves, as parishioners adopted other traditions regarding appearance.
Shawl color
Women who are not familiar with the rules of church etiquette do not know that the choice of color and ornament of the shawl for the temple plays an important role.
So, secular ladies who enter the temple only on the occasion of an event are recommended to have at least three versions of this headdress:
- Light pastel colors. It can be monophonic or with a soft ornament, for example, in a flower. It should be worn on the occasion of the holidays. You can stay on a simple white scarf.
- A plain dark shawl is tied to the head on the occasion of mourning and during fasting days.
- An ordinary scarf, any color. It can be monophonic or with an ornament. He will be needed if you need to go to church on a typical day.
Who is much closer to the church and attends it constantly, usually has in his wardrobe a whole collection of these hats. For example, red is relevant for Easter and beyond to Ascension. Palm Sunday and the days of the Holy Trinity put a green scarf. And with the “flower” pattern women are usually worn, who help the temple and perform dirty types of work.
How to tie?
Not everyone knows how to tie a scarf in the temple. The most correct is simply to tie the ends under the chin. This method is the easiest. If he does not hold well and falls, then you should wrap his neck and tie it behind. For this, the headgear must be of sufficient length. If the product is short, then you can cover it with your forehead and tie it in the back. But to avoid difficulties, you can buy ready-made Orthodox scarves. They resemble a hood and are fixed with special ties under the chin. In stores you can find a sufficient assortment of colors, so you can choose the option for any occasion. Usually they don’t really pay attention to how a scarf is tied. The fact of its presence is much more important.
Despite the fact that life has changed, for a believer and a person who respects the church, there are traditional rules of conduct in it. They relate to clothing, so women still put on a shawl for the temple, although some consider this an outdated tradition.